I know this question gets asked every so often but the existing threads don't seem to have enough of the information that I'm looking for.

I just found out that I have another week of vacation time that I would absolutely *love* to use before the baby arrives by scheduling it for the week before the edd. Obviously when waiting for labor to spontaneously begin it's impossible to predict exactly when that will be, but I'm wondering what my odd are of having DS2 at 40w or less are. It seems like gestation time for 2nd, 3rd, 4th + children varies greatly but hopefully I can gain some sense of direction from your input. I don't mind using some of the time before baby rather than after baby, but if there's a decent likelyhood of going to 41+ weeks...then I may as well just save it. TIA

My DS1 was born at 39w 0d. I was charting, so my dating is accurate.

Evergreen

05-25-2011 04:57 PM

my second came 4 days earlier than my first. they were both late, though, in the 42 week range.

MommyMandi

05-25-2011 06:32 PM

My first came at 38 weeks. My second came at 40w1d. My last came at 39 weeks. So anything is possible! goodluck!

mumm

05-25-2011 06:35 PM

1-41 weeks

2-38 weeks

3&4 (twins) 42 weeks

I'm not sure you can really plan for anything.

samstress

05-25-2011 06:48 PM

1st - 40w1d

2nd - 41w6d

honestly, there's no way of knowing.

kitkatkaddoodle

05-25-2011 06:57 PM

40+3

39+5.

As an L&D nurse, I wish there was a way of predicting, I really do.

edited because my memory failed me.

L&K'smommie

05-25-2011 07:34 PM

It's hard to know for sure...but mine have all come within one week of each other due date wise.
Mine were:
1- 39w 4d
2- 40w
3- 39w 6d
4- 41w 2d

All natural labors...no inductions

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nicole730

05-25-2011 07:37 PM

First was 40w1d

Second was 40w5d

tourist.

05-26-2011 10:10 AM

Thanks for the responses so far. At this point I'm leaning towards just taking the time, but I still like to read everyone's experiences.

Peony

05-26-2011 10:32 AM

All natural labors.

#1 38 weeks

#2 38w 6d

#3 40 weeks 6d

So now I'm curious if #4 will follow the trend of gestating longer each time!

Jaimee

05-26-2011 12:05 PM

#1 38w6d

#2 39w5d

Both spontaneous, unmedicated births

Banana731

05-26-2011 02:03 PM

dd1- 41+6

dd2- 39+6

dd3- 40+2

imagine21

05-27-2011 02:40 PM

1st - 39+6

2nd- 39+6

Both the day before their due dates. Conception dates were rock solid both times.

sapphire_chan

05-27-2011 03:08 PM

Take the time a couple weeks early and use it to nest. That'll give you a bit of time with everything set up and ready to go where you can suddenly realize that you forgot things while there's still plenty of time to get them/arrange things differently, what have you.

Also, working up to the start of labor sounds a lot better than sitting around waiting for labor to start. If you go into it planning to head back to work for a week or two, you'll get more out of your vacation time.

beebalmmama

05-27-2011 03:24 PM

First was at 40 wks +3 days

Second at 41 wks +5 days

I thought for sure my second would arrive earlier than that, oh well you never know.

puddle

05-27-2011 03:58 PM

1st - 40w4d

2nd - 40w2d

XanaduMama

05-27-2011 06:24 PM

#1 - 40w2d

#2 - 39w6d

kdhfly

05-28-2011 02:34 PM

#1: 39+6

#2: 40+3 (but 40+1 from my best guess)

I was still nursing my first and ended up needing an ultrasound for dating when I got pregnant with #2. We'll see what happens this time:)

morganlefay

05-28-2011 03:23 PM

Both of mine were born at 40 weeks on the dot.

Youngfrankenstein

05-28-2011 03:27 PM

#1=38 weeks

#2=39 weeks (induced)

#3=38 weeks

#4=40.4 weeks

sunnygir1

05-28-2011 10:05 PM

#1 34w 6d

#2 35w 0d

both based on last menstrual period -- which I write down

Both started with my water breaking around 3am. I was really hoping for, and expecting, a full term baby with my second, but it didn't turn out that way. I really don't think you can count on anything.

Thanks everyone for sharing your dates! It's interesting to see all the numbers.

As for what I'm going to do...I've spoken with my manager and arranged to use the week of vacation time at 39w. If baby doesn't come during that time off work (which would be anywhere from 37w 5d through 40w 0d) then I'll return to work on 40w 1d and work until he arrives. Not a big deal. Once baby is born I have 12 weeks off, then I'm working 3 weeks of half days, then it'll be November with a week off that month, then two weeks off in December. If I don't use this time before baby...not sure where to use it after baby as I'm already going to be out for most of the end of the year.

I don't have much left to do at home besides clean (clean and clean!) but day by day sitting at work becomes increasingly more uncomfortable, bordering on downright painful. And I'm only in the office 2.5 days a week, I can't imagine if I had to be here 5 days a week...I'd be even more of a whiny baby.

savithny

05-31-2011 06:15 PM

Both dates based on ovulation charting. With #1 I had an early ultrasound that gave an EDD of 2 days after the EDD from charting.

#1 came between the two EDDs, exactly. I'd call him 40w exactly.

#2 came 40w +2 hours. If she'd been just a tiny bit earlier she would've been born on her EDD.

tourist.

09-14-2011 05:40 PM

I know it's been ages, but wanted to thank everyone again for their input. My son ended up being born at 39w 4d which was four days before I would have needed to go back to work. I got five days to rest and relax before DS was born, couldn't have been better timing. We got lucky!